Despite the decision being booed by some fans in attendance, “El
Nino” was confident that he deserved the hard-fought victory.

“I feel good. I know I won that fight. I know Josh was huffing and
puffing a lot more than I was,” Melendez (Pictured, file photo)
told Showtime Sports after retaining his title. “I wasn’t really
tired. I just couldn’t let the inner beast out for some
reason.”

Though both men kept a measured pace in the early going, the
lightweights turned up the heat as the contest wore on, exchanging
crisp shots standing when they weren’t battling for position in the
clinch. While the Cesar
Gracie pupil managed to plant Thomson on the mat several times,
“The Punk” quickly escaped to his feet in each instance.

“It’s tough [to hold Thomson down]. It takes a lot of energy,” said
Melendez. “I think if I had done more takedowns and made him get up
more that it might have been easier, but it’s tough to hold a guy
down.”

Thomson appeared to gather momentum in a closely contested third
stanza and changed gears in the championship rounds, taking
Melendez’s back in frame four before rallying in the final five
minutes with a hard right straight and a slick takedown.

Although the pair’s third clash proved the most competitive of
their encounters on the scorecards, Melendez said he has little
interest in facing Thomson four a fourth time down the road.

“I won the trilogy. This was supposed to be the end of this,”
stated Melendez. “Everybody was like, ‘Let’s settle this once and
for all.’ Didn’t we settle it? [Laughs] If you guys want to pay me
triple or double, we’ll talk.”

Though universally regarded as one of the sport’s top 155-pound
competitors, Melendez must once again turn toward the short list of
viable Strikeforce challengers. When asked what will come next, the
30-year-old champ said he would face whomever the promotion places
in front of him.

“You guys tell me [whom to fight next],” said Melendez. “I’m proud
to be a part of Showtime and Strikeforce. I’m going to keep holding
the throne.”